Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah today to discuss the unprecedented attacks launched from Iranian territory and by Iran's proxies in the region into Israel, and U.S. and coalition efforts to defend Israel. The Secretary emphasized that while the United States does not seek escalation, we will continue to defend Israel and U.S. personnel. The Secretary underscored the United States' commitment to the strong bilateral defense partnership with Qatar as both sides work with regional partners to deescalate tensions in the region.